Top 10 species fighting extinction with the help of zoos – in picturesA lovely collection of image, here. The gallery represents a list of animals, among them one of the world's largest frogs, Britain's only native crayfish and Amur leopards, has been drawn up by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to highlight their work to secure endangered species' futures.

The week in wildlife – in picturesMore pictures, this time from the Guardian's weekly wildlife gallery. (It's worth keeping an eye on the series page if you're short of visuals of the natural world.) This week's collection includes a striking image of a Panamanian golden frog and a couple of playful gorillas.

Gold medallists of the natural world – in picturesRunning, jumping and diving are on everyone's minds these days, with the Olympics season in full swing. But humans aren't the only ones that display incredible feats of athleticism. Here, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) offers up the gold medallists of the animal kingdom.

Walking dead: the Amazon's endangered speciesBack to Brazil for another worrying story. In July, a study found some rainforest species are doomed to disappear even if deforestation were halted overnight. Here's a list of those species.

Audio interactive: author DBC Pierre celebrates the axolotlAxolotls are salamander-like creatures that can regrow their limbs, jaws and even spines. This audio-led interactive features the Booker prize winner DBC Pierre sharing a lyrical ode to the animal that was also a childhood pet. He collaborated with musicians to create An Axolotl Odyssey, a symphony in honour of the almost-extinct Mexican creature.

Lonesome George, the last giant tortoise of his kind, dies - in picturesIt wouldn't feel right to talk about endangered species without mentioning Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta island giant tortoises. The conservation icon died earlier this year of unknown causes. He was believed to be about 100 years old. He was found in 1972 and become a symbol of the Galápagos Islands. His species helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution in the 19th century

Galápagos Islands: breaking point – videoIn Lonesome George's home, the Galápagos Islands, the balance between the economic benefits of the tourist industry and maintaining the unique biodiversity is reaching a critical point. In this video, three prominent conservationists who live on the islands discuss the threat posed to the fragile ecosystem.

What is an endangered species?Part one of a six-part series of resources, this classroom presentation challenges students to think about what it means to be an endangered species and what causes a species to become endangered.

New species in MadagascarSome 600 new species have been discovered in Madagascar. This teaching resource for key stages 2 and 3 explores these findings and includes a practical lesson plan for primary and secondary science on classification of animals and plants. It also has curriculum links and a glossary.

Best of the web

The Extinction Rainbow: infographicThis infographic outlines endangered species for every country in the world, indicating the total number within each country and breaking it down into the species categories; mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, molluscs, other inverts and plants. Some surprising results too.